


31

by shadowolfhunter



Category: Grimm (TV)
Genre: 30 Day OTP Challenge, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-30
Updated: 2016-01-01
Packaged: 2018-05-10 12:17:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5585098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowolfhunter/pseuds/shadowolfhunter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which events keep conspiring to change the course of Nick Burkhardt's life, and the thing with his boss might be more of a thing than he ever suspected.</p><p>Sean Renard's pursuit of power and a stable future for himself keeps getting tripped up by events that are beyond his control... as if a certain young Grimm didn't know that.</p><p>Meisner's introduction to Portland is (ever so slightly) freaking him out...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Going Shopping

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the 30 Day challenge, which will be 31 days (January don't ya know)... and is starting early because I have a heck of a lot on right now, and starting early makes sense.
> 
> Nicked from Stellarmeadow's 30 Day McDanno Challenge, which she has done so beautifully well that I could not resist.
> 
> I am also unable to resist the idea of bringing together our favourite Grimm and his Half-Zauberbiest. (Let's face it, Half-Zauberbiest... way sexier than Half-Royal (Royals being grumpy, mal-adjusted people in dark suits, hanging about in gloomy dark castles with a hell of a ghost problem).

“Isn’t this adorable?” Adalind pulled the little sailor outfit from the Macy’s bag and held it up. Waved it a bit under Nick’s nose. He agreed that the clothes were very cute, if only he could see the price. It seemed as though Adalind had already snipped the hang-tags out.

Inwardly Nick winced. He agreed that his son needed to be decently clothed, but Adalind liked to spend money. He supposed that was fair enough, she had been a lawyer, she was used to the best of everything all the time, and the fact that they only had Nick’s police detective salary to draw on didn’t actually make the slightest difference. Adalind was used to plenty.

Nick really didn’t want to become one of those guys, but he was horribly afraid he was going to be, because he had a police detective’s salary and minimal savings after the house.

He really, really did not want to think about the house.

There was the small matter of the charge card too.

 

He’s got the envelope in his hand. It feels fat, stuffed, and he’s pulling out the paper and he’s about to lose his mind…

“YOU SPENT HOW MUCH??? ON WHAT??” His voice hasn’t cracked like that since puberty, but the size of the bill is absolutely freaking him out.

Adalind’s face is utterly unrepentant, as she stuffs Kelly into his arms.

Those big blue eyes just staring at him, and Nick has to agree, the little sailor outfit is very cute… and he can’t shout at the mother of his son, while his son is staring up at him, all sweet and trusting.

Nick subsides, cuddling the baby closer. He’ll think of something. He can walk to work…

Adalind smiles, content… that outfit really is cute… as is the deceptively simple yet wickedly expensive little Italian number she just had to have. A girl needs to feel special once in a while after all.


	2. Going to a PTA Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick plays third wheel between Diana's parents...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK. wibbly-wobbly, hand-wavey, timey-whimey stuff here. For the purposes of this, Diana has been found, restored to Adalind and Sean, who are the awkward separated parents (something they are both suited for) and Diana is five and this is her first term of school.

Nick is feeling more than a little tense. This is the first PTA meeting after all. The whole thing is incredibly awkward. Adalind is there as Diana’s mother, Nick is there because Adalind made it clear that they need to be there as Diana’s parents… and Captain Sean Renard is there as Diana’s father.

His Captain. The Captain who has occasionally haunted Nick’s dreams for as long as he’s known the guy, they’ve been through Wesen, and Shootings, and Possessions and Deaths and His Completely Insane Family… and Nick is freaking out enough for ten people here.

Meisner is child-wrangling. Because Diana adores him and it makes sense that since he can cope with Diana, Meisner can look after Kelly at the same time.

Nick is sitting in the middle chair in front of the desk. Trying very hard to pretend that this is in any way normal, for Diana’s teacher's sake, while trying to referee between Adalind, whom they have both slept with, and Sean who has Diana’s teacher eating out of his hand.

Nick is dying of tension and incredible amounts of jealousy as Sean brings out all the olde-worlde courtly charm, and Adalind seethes quietly next to him and occasionally digs Nick in the ribs with a sharp elbow.

Nick tries to ignore all of it, and makes a valiant effort not to squirm on his chair and then somehow they are finishing up and Sean is getting to his feet…

“Daddy!”

In that one precious moment, Nick faces up to some facts.

Diana runs up to her father, throws her arms around his thigh, which is about as high as she can reasonably reach. Sean looks down, that perfect, controlled, political smile vanishes, that mask that he shows the world, and Nick can see it… Love.

Sean reaches down and lifts Diana into his arms, she wraps her little arms around his neck, and presses her cheek to his, he’s laughing but Nick can see his eyes and it’s all there, all the emotion Nick has never seen on the Captain’s face before.

Nick wants to say something, but he can’t, Adalind is right next to him, and he can’t hurt her like that; then Adalind’s hand is on his arm, and she’s saying “Sean, perhaps you would like to take her home tonight,” and there’s a tone in her voice which Nick has never heard before, and he looks up at his Captain and sees the joy in Sean’s face… and knows that somehow it is all going to be okay.


	3. Celebrating An Anniversary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Sean Renard is sophisticated, Hank is romantic, and Wu is practical... and Nick is clueless, but somehow manages to find an agreeable answer anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And yes, this is actually a real anniversary...

Nick has a problem. It’s a very special social engagement and he has no clue what he’s going to do about a present, because it’s an anniversary and almost everything he can think of at this stage is wildly inappropriate or boring as hell.

Quietly he curses the person who dreamt up _Leather_ as a third anniversary. Everything leather he can think of or has seen just isn’t cutting the mustard.

Monroe is a Wieder. Leather makes no sense.

 

Okay, so Nick is quietly losing his mind. Renard’s present is a very elegant, very expensive travel carriage clock in a very exclusive looking leather case. Hank’s present is a beautifully leather-bound book in a very tasteful shade of forest green containing some of the best love poetry ever written. Wu’s present is a handsome leather desk set, also in green.

Nick’s present… is a dog collar and lead.

He feels like both a worm and a complete idiot.

Monroe glances at Rosalee, Rosalee’s eyelashes flutter and she glances down, and Nick catches a glimpse of that look… oh…. _OH!_

Suddenly even though that was too much information, he doesn’t feel so bad that he went with the joke present.


	4. Dealing with An Injury

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Captain is working from home, Nick takes his work to him, and an understanding (of sorts) is reached.

“…and someone has to take the Captain’s paperwork round to him since he’s working from home today.” Wu’s voice almost echoes in the mostly empty bullpen. 

Nick looks up. “Working from home?” He can’t remember the last time the Captain took a day off. Even on his days off, the Captain tends to be behind his desk for all sorts of reasons.

Only Nick knows Sean has Diana this week, so maybe that’s it.

“Thank you for volunteering,” Wu is dropping an enormous pile of files in Nick’s in-tray. Nick startles. 

“Hey…”

Wu makes a wavy motion with his hand. Nick sighs, and scowls, because really… going around there when Sean has Diana kinda makes it look like Nick and Adalind are checking up on him, and Nick is so keen not to do that, because this thing is so very, very awkward anyway, and Renard has this way of looking at him when Renard is displeased that makes Nick feel five years old and in front of his kindergarten teacher again.

Nick turns to Hank, realizing that his partner has taken Nick’s distraction as an opportunity to escape so he doesn’t get roped into visiting the Captain at home. Hank is well aware that the Captain has his daughter for the week.

Nick is on his own on this one. The rats have left the sinking ship. He suppresses the thought of rats. That is not a good, happy thought.

Wu passes by again, “by the way, the Captain’s taken a sick day, something about an injury.”

Now Nick is right in it. It’s not Diana, he knows that, because however touchy this thing is, if Diana was hurt, Sean would have informed Adalind.

Which can only mean that Sean Renard is injured, and that makes all of this doubly hard. Nick has just about admitted to himself that he has feelings for his Captain. Now he’s going to take the Captain’s work to him, and have to keep his feelings for his injured boss under wraps.

[][][][][]

Nick heaves the box of files into his arms, and walks up the path to the front door. He balances the box carefully and rings the doorbell. For a moment there is silence, then he can hear the sound of feet heading to the door.

They sound like very small feet.

There’s a clunk, a scraping sound, a rattle, another scraping sound and the door swings open.

Diana beams up at him. “Hi Uncle Nick.”

Nick is startled. “Diana. Where’s daddy?”

She points in the direction of the sofa, “Daddy’s asleep.”

Nick crosses the threshold and sets the box down, closes the door and follows Diana. He rounds the end of the sofa and stops dead.

Sean is sprawled out on the sofa, he’s wearing a grey tee shirt, and what looks like black boxers, his right ankle is wrapped in a shocking pink cast, resting on a couple of pillows, there’s a blanket that’s caught around his hips barely covering his thighs, one arm is flung above his head, the other is resting on his stomach, the tee has ridden up a little so Nick is getting a fine view of Sean’s washboard flat abs. There are crutches on the floor and the merest hint of drool on the pillow Sean’s head is resting on.

Sean’s cheeks are a little flushed, there’s a frown between his brows and he looks uncomfortable.

Nick wonders what he’s done to his ankle, but it’s the pink flushed cheeks that are a bit more worrisome than the cast. Nick inches forward and lays the back of his hand against Sean’s brow.

Okay so Sean is a zauberbiest, and Nick really doesn’t know if the heat he can feel from Sean’s forehead is normal or not, but it doesn’t feel normal to him. Plus, Nick isn’t a doctor, but he’s pretty sure Sean’s been on that couch all night and most of the day, because climbing the stairs on crutches, especially as he has Diana to look after, makes no sense.

Nick tugs the blanket out gently, and covers Sean with it, careful not to wake him.

“Diana, how long has daddy been asleep.”

“He made us lunch.” There’s a hurried tone in Diana’s voice, sometimes Nick forgets she’s only five (ish), she defends her father so fiercely.

Nick reassures her that he’s not implying that Sean is a bad daddy, but that daddy is hurt and possibly a bit sick and that he might need their help. Diana nods, and Nick can’t help but feel incredibly fond at the very serious expression on her little face. She’s growing up fast, in a way that Nick has trouble comprehending, but he wishes it was all much slower. Time enough to learn that the world can be a harsh place.

Nick moves away to make a call. Adalind is difficult at first, but Nick points out that Sean actually needs them and she changes her tune.

“Diana, you stay with daddy.” Nick heads up the stairs, enters Sean’s room, finds a bag, puts a few things in the bag, wash kit, a couple of sweaters, finds some sweats and a warm jacket, then returns to the sitting room.

Sean’s awake, and a glance tells Nick that his first guess was correct, Sean is definitely ill. He struggles into a sitting position, fear on his face that makes Nick’s heart jump, and sits there shivering.

“I…” He breaks off to cough, his voice is slightly hoarse, and Nick can tell exactly what he’s thinking, it’s written all over his face.

“No, Sean…” Nick moves to sit next to Sean, not caring how it’s interpreted because Sean needs reassurance, “hey… you’ve been on the sofa all night; how about coming back with me, and we can take care of you.”

Sean looks so grateful at Nick’s words, Nick almost wants to cry. Sometimes Sean’s ruined childhood shows itself in the things he says and does, and this is one of those times. Nick doesn’t know if he’s being overly sensitive about it, but the mixture of fear and gratitude is getting to Nick.

He helps Sean into warm clothing, sends Diana to gather up her things, gets Sean up on his good leg and gives him the crutches.

“I hate these things,” Sean grumps, as he crutch-hops his way to the front door. His knee is bent, holding his casted foot and ankle well clear of the floor.

“What happened?” Nick is curious.

Sean coughs, and the flush on his face is pure embarrassment. “I slipped.” He says with quiet dignity, as Diana piped up, “Daddy missed the football.”

“Missed the football?” Nick enquires, trying to equate the mental image of his suit-wearing Captain doing anything so mundane as kicking a football.

If anything Sean’s face has passed through pink and now is a dull red, while his gaze sweeps the floor. “I may have miscalculated.”

“Daddy slipped and kicked the ground this far away.” Diana holds her hands about two feet apart.

Nick tries to keep the grin off his face, and fails.

“Alright.” Sean coughs again and looks testy.

Nick feels guilty, because the man is in pain and feeling crap. Teasing duly postponed (even though he would love an explanation for the pink cast), he guides his charges to his car.

Getting everyone settled, Nick slips into the driver’s seat.

“Nick, I really appreciate this.” Sean says quietly. Nick nods, “you’re family now.” He says. There’s a moment of companionable silence, when they look at each other, and neither says anything but there is total accord, maybe even a hint of future promise, though Nick would deny that right now.

In the back seat, Diana smiles to herself.


	5. Helping with Insomnia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Babies have erratic sleep patterns, and Nick is overwhelmed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fluff... soppy, sappy, sugary fluff...

“GAAAH!”

Nick lifts Kelly a little higher into his shoulder and sways from side to side in a vain attempt to get the baby to go back to sleep.

Kelly might be as bright as a button, but his poor papa is about to face plant into the carpet. Dealing with Kelly’s insomnia is just about breaking Nick in two, and despite the fact that he’s the working half of this duo, somehow Adalind never has to deal with Kelly’s often raging insomnia.

Just as Nick’s addled brain is about to give up, a pair of arms wrap themselves around Nick and Kelly.

“Hey.” Nick slurs, gazing blearily up at his boss… Sean’s been with them for over a week now, his ankle is out of its shocking pink cast, replaced by one of those strange grey plastic boot-type walking casts, and he could easily manage at home by himself, but Nick’s been reluctant to let Sean leave, and strangely Sean’s been reluctant to go. Which they have both been disguising as what is good for Diana, but is a lot more complicated than that, as Diana has worked out.

“Y’shouldn’t…” Nick’s being folded against a broad muscular chest, his head comes to rest against an powerfully muscled shoulder like it’s the most natural thing in the world, Kelly seems to be slipping out of Nick’s arms, and there’s something quite amusing about zauberbiests but Nick is far too tired to wonder what it might be, he’s being guided back into a bedroom.

Sean eases Nick down into the bed and slides in beside him, Kelly cradled carefully in one arm. “Now you just go back to sleep and let your poor frazzled father get some sleep of his own,” Kelly purses his lips and blows a bubble, Sean makes a face, Kelly reaches up an arm and pats Sean on his cheek, the one that turns zauber… “like that is it?” Sean really doesn’t know why but Kelly reacts to him completely differently than any other child ever has, possibly because they are both half-zauberbiest, and somehow Kelly means a lot to Sean.

Kelly pats Sean’s cheek again.

Sean looks around, Adalind isn’t there to see and get all huffy about it, Nick’s snoring the sleep of the exhausted, one arm flung over Sean’s thighs; Sean sighs, and shakes his head. His woge comes out and this time Kelly’s tiny hand rests against Sean’s zauber-skin.

Baby zauberbiest looks into the face of his adult counterpart without the slightest fear, more in wonder. Sean shakes his head again, and his woge retracts. He pulls a couple of pillows behind him and leans back into them, supporting Kelly, who’s eyelids are starting to droop.

Sean hums a little, before singing softly to the baby, it’s an old French song his long-ago nanny used to sing to him, and Kelly seems to like it. As Sean nears the end of the song, he glances down, Nick is watching him. There’s an understanding between them now that there never was before, and as Sean ends the song, Nick leans even further into him.

With Kelly asleep on one side, and Nick falling back to sleep on the other, Sean relaxes into the pillows, for the first time in a long time he feels at peace.


	6. Getting Wet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It rains in Portland.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly less sugary, but still a little fluffy

They are soaked through, from their tumble into the river, courtesy of their latest Wesen case. Hank and Wu were securing the scene, while Nick gave chase, Sean limping after him; and Nick is very aware that Sean’s ankle is still in the walking cast.

He shouldn’t even be here, he should be back at the station, but they needed four and the Captain pulled rank on them.

Sean stumbles, and Nick doesn’t even think, he moves up close, slides under the Captain’s arm, and pulls the larger man up against him. Sean is shivering, his teeth are definitely chattering and Nick does what he can. Helps Sean back to his vehicle, installs the Captain in the passenger seat, radios Hank to tell him where they’re going. It has to be bad, because the Captain doesn’t even protest at being a passenger in his own car, and drives his Captain home.

Home to Nick’s.

Sean says nothing, but since he’s shivering in earnest now, and Nick has seen enough of Sean’s magnificent body to know that the Captain has less than zero bodyfat.

If Nick stops to think, or starts talking about this, they are going to slip back into awkward again, so he doesn’t. He turns the shower on, strips them both to bare skin, helps Sean take the rather cumbersome walking cast off, and helps him into the shower.

Five minutes later, they’re wrapped in toweling robes, Nick’s helping his limping boss into the bed that has been designated Sean’s since he moved in with them nearly three weeks ago, and then Nick is going in search of something warming and nourishing. Soup fits the bill, and Adalind has just been to the store.

Nick pauses to choose between New England Butternut Squash and Moroccan Spiced Chicken… figures that the Captain seems to prefer the vegetarian option so he sets about heating it up for both of them.

It’s tricky this thing, but Nick sticks to his no-talking rule and it seems to work. The Captain takes the offered mug from Nick’s hand, and seems to concentrate on it as Nick slips into the other side of the bed. They are not going to talk about it, and Sean’s happy with that, good food, and shared bodily warmth and they can still pretend that there is nothing deeper that’s going to trip them up.

It’s not like Getting Wet in Portland isn’t a frequent occurrence.

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter One I dedicate to my parents. Probably my fondest memory of their interactions was the arrival of the monthly Bentalls' bill. My mother had a charge card. My father made the payments.
> 
> The envelope would arrive on the doormat (this was before we had the dog that used to devour letters) with a dull thud, a little like a telephone directory. And yes, the envelope would be thick. My dad used to open it, and leaf through the dockets with a growing sense of disbelief. "You spent how much? On what?" he would splutter. And my mother would airily explain it all away as clothes for me... though the lampshade did tax her ingenuity.
> 
> Dad would grumble under his breath, mostly dire warnings about cutting up the card, and then pay it anyway. Mum would serenely go about her business and they would both be satisfied with the outcome. Weird creatures, parents.


End file.
